On a final note, while we should all be conscientious about potentially spoiling other viewers - the show has been finished since 05/17/2015. Barring spoilers in the titles of posts, read discussion threads at your own risk of getting spoiled. I highly recommend enjoying authentically first, though!

Hello r/madmen! I appreciate you all taking the time to read this. As we well know this show is a work of art and/or masterpiece of modern television. While some of the moderator team have not been as active lately, I am looking to change that. I have to thank the moderator team for inviting me aboard here. I hope to do the community justice.

It makes me excited to see that the community is still quite active on this subreddit, with in-depth conversations about the show still very common. I want to be able to take the energy that this fantastic community has and breathe some more life into the sub.

All of that being said, I would love to hear ideas that you all have in regards to anything that might be fun for the community to do on a regular basis. I will be changing the Episode Analysis threads every week, but we have the potential for more than that. Thanks r/madmen for any of the ideas/discussion, and thank you again for welcoming me to the mod-team!

I’m new to Reddit so don’t judge me if I’m doing something wrong please, I joined Reddit specifically for Mad Men threads. But I’m watching “The Doorway” S. 6 E. 1, for like the 5th time and I always get so frustrated with Betty over how bitter she acts toward Sally through the series, as well as Bobby and Gene, but she can be so especially hard on Sally, and I get that Betty had a hard childhood and she takes it out on Sally sometimes. Then Sally’s friend comes along, one of Sally’s many friends who show signs of showing off and flirting with Don and Betty, and yet again I feel so bad for Sally with this. So Betty starts by making the crazy comment to Henry “why don’t you just go rape her,” which shocked me. Betty clearly shows so many signs of her own troubled childhood being something that she’s not over so she’s showing jealousy of Sandy and her talent and potential. But what I don’t get is why then she tracks Sandy down and shows concern/fear for her going down the wrong path. Yea, like maybe it’s her seeing herself in Sandy and trying to protect her for that reason, but Betty is rarely protective over Sally. And when Betty can’t find Sandy, she dyes her hair brunette? I just struggle to see Betty’s thought process and intentions here and want to hear some perspectives and theories.

I’m rewatching season 7 and I noticed in the premiere Ken mentions his offscreen underling Torkelson was sleeping with Clara. In “Severence,” Ken tells Pete that Clara went into labor, saying “I think he [Torkelson] is just gonna look the other way.” I found it interesting how the writers subtlety tied another parallel to Peggy and Pete’s season one arc by having an upcoming account man impregnate a secretary. But I think the most important aspect of the execution is that it occurs in approximately two lines, which signifies how many significant events may have occurred outside the arcs of the major characters. Only Don, Pete, and Stan ever find out about Peggy’s child. I think Ken and Pete’s ambivalence over Clara’s situation represents that despite the drastic change that seems to take place over the show, some toxic aspects of the business world never change. Thoughts?

Apologies if this was already obvious. After Freddy pisses his pants after drinking too much, Harry, Ken and some of the other guys make jokes at his expense. Don overhears one of these jokes and tells them to grow up and stop acting like schoolgirls obsessed with drama, or something like that.

Despite some of his weirder behavior, Don seems to have a strong moral code and how a man should act, which initially explains why he criticized the guys making fun of Freddy. But also remember when Don was in Korea, he pissed his pants when the bombs were dropping. Don knows firsthand the embarrassment of peeing your pants as an adult and the Freddy mishap really rung true with him.

I feel this topic deserves its own discussion post because I had no idea this plot point was even up for debate... Everyone I know thinks it was pretty obvious that Don Draper incorrectly tells Dick Whitman that he pissed himself because it was actually gasoline from the trail of gasoline that lead to the tank (which explodes). However, my comments in a recent thread have been heavily downvoted because apparently some of you think he truly did piss his pants, and now I feel like I’m taking crazy pills. So, what is the /r/MadMen consensus on this?

Like I said, a third time through really makes an impact.
Ever time in season 3 in particular when we see Sal I want to cry. I usually have to skip the scene where Kitty realizes Sal is gay when he performs “Bye Bye Birdy”. It makes my heart hurt for both of them in a strange reason. In the episode where he gets fired, too. Does anyone else feel this way?

TIL that in 1952, seven Braxton County, West Virginia residents said that after seeing red lights streaking across the sky, they were terrorized by a 10-foot tall Frankenstein-like monster. The event became part of an extensive government review of UFO cases. Project Blue Book, Jan 8th on HISTORY.

Everyone knows the episode I'm referring to, Commission's and fees, the untimely passing away of, one, Mr. Lane PRYCE. These words uttered by Don in desperation, only to have him repeat them again, "you can't leave him like that..."

I know Don feels shock and immediate guilt over this, but would that really be his reaction?

Maybe someone smarter than myself can explain to me what this scene is meant to be interpreted.

I never made this connection, even after countless rewatches, that both Don and Peggy want to in-the-moment want to go to Paris with Midge, and Some Boy (do not remember his name). And both do not end up going! A coincidence? (Nothing is a coincidence on this show)

It's a 1967 musical starring a young Robert Morse (Bert Cooper). Watch it and I think you'll agree that it must have been a huge influence on the show. I like to think of it as a slightly exaggerated origin story for Bert Cooper, if you pretend it happened in the 20's instead of the 60's.

Truly a fantastic film that's become one of my favorites, and it's on Amazon Prime!

There’s a ton of memorable episode endings in Mad Men that it’s hard to choose my upmost favorite but, S6:E6 (Man With a Plan) ending with Megan and Don finding out Bobby Kennedy died and Reach Out Of the Darkness wrapping it all up is perhaps my favorite. I always snort chuckle.

This is show can be about human failings and weakness and there is certainly a current of cynicism that belies everything, but there are a surprising amount kindness too. What are your nominees for kindest deeds in the show.

Mine are:
Don paying Pete's partnership fees after Lucky Strike leaves
Bob Benson taking care of Joan when she is sick
Don bringing Betty's father in to live with them and telling off her brother

I'm sure this question has been posted to this sub already, so my apologies for the redundancy. Anyways, I'm on my third rewatch of the show and I'm really starting to see myself as a Don Draper. Who are you the most similar to?